Omaha daily bee., 1887-08-04
tsousuIaP Defects.

COnsuIof DeIcCVo.
The consular service of the United
States has never been quite what IL
should be, and while it is better now than
ever before in the history OF the service,
due to reforms instituted under previous
administrations, 1t could still be very
much improved, When Mr.. Evarts went
into the state department he found the
consular service pretty generally demor.
alzed and inefficient. He had had some
practical ideas about what is required Of
such service and set to work with the
full approval of the administration to
carry them into effect. He introduced q
number of reforms and very materially
improved the service. but demo.
cratic congresses were not friendly
10 measures for building up the
consular system, and the appropriations
necessary to carry out n liberal policy OF
reform were not provided. Such of the
changes in the direction of improvement
rs were in the control of the state de.
partment were maintained hy the sue.
oeeding administration, but there was
little or no progress. MIR. Bayard be.
lieves in a strong and efficient consular
service, but he has had very little success
in impressing his views on his party
friends in congress. Democratic faith in
the value of this service has not of late
years been very great, il indeed it ever
was, and the average democratic
congressman is little disposed to
do much for class of admin
istration patronage which can be
of very little use to the party in the exi.
gencies of campaign, or which beng
in the control of the opposition might be
too literally employed in rewarding
party services. The importance to com.
merce and to other practical matters of an
efficient consular service, such for exam
| pie as Great Britain maintains, is either
not understood or not cared for by most
of the national law makers, and more
| particularly by those who have been in
control of the lower branch OF con.
gress for number of years.
| While, therefore. the consular service
is better now than formerly, there are
still defects in the system which interfere
with Its efficiency, and abuses that
need to be removed before the
standard Is reached of other nations that
have rs nearly as practicable perfected
their service. Among the abuses to
which attention is now being directed
and which will probably be considered
by the secretary of state in his next an
nual reports the creation Of subordinate
consular agencies in the immediate vi
cinity of regularly established and salar-
led consulates. These minor officers are
nominally appointed by the state depart
ment on the recommendation of the con
suls, but practically they are appointed
by the consuls. They collect and retain
fees up to certain amount, and the Law
allows the consul who re-
commends their appointment to re
surplus fees as his perquisite for super
vlsng them. This being in addition tt
the fixed salary provided by law, it af
fords temptation to every consul in ;
populous city to secure the appointment
of consular agent in each of the sub
urbs. At present there are 426 of thes
consular agencies, nearly or quite half o.
which it is believed could be dispensed
with. At all events the system is one pc
culiar to the United States, never having
been found necessary or desirable by any
other country, and this fact alone war
rants doubt as to its expediency. Ont
of the allegations against the system, ant
a most important one If true
is that the consular agent, il
order to collect as large n
amount in fees as possible, takes invoices
without pretense of examination, ant
thus floods the country with under-val
ued goods, to the detriment of the homes
importer. 1t is also said that these con
sular agents, being nearly always mer
chants and citizens of the country il
which they live, use their nominal con
sular rank for the advancement of thel
private interests, and frequently brini
the name of the United States into disre
pute.
Hthese statements correctly represent
this feature of the consular service, it i
obviously an evil that must be remediee
before it will be possible to g
from the service the best re
suits. A consular system that EN-
ploys thoroughly capable and eflicien
men. whose whole desire and interes
would be in promoting the commercia
interests of the country, and who nigh
, expect as the reward of faithful and eili
cient service, permanent retention, IS in
dispensable to tho nation. 1t woul
seem to be evident that the country l
now far short of having such a system.
......